Senate passes tougher bill on illegal immigration

By Mary Lou Pickel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Local governments that take illegal immigration lightly could lose state money under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate.

Senate Bill 20 adds some teeth to a Georgia law passed two years ago that cracked down on illegal immigration.

That previous action requires public employers to use federal databases to screen immigrants when hiring and to verify an applicant’s immigration status when giving welfare benefits. Senate Bill 20 says failure to do this could cost the local government state funds or state-administered federal funds.

The measure, approved 37 to 9, also prohibits local governments from declaring themselves “sanctuary citiesâ€